Sherwood Forest

Hilly stretch of parkland in west Nottinghamshire, central England; area about 520 sq km/200 sq mi. Formerly an ancient royal forest extending from Nottingham to Worksop, it is associated with the legendary outlaw Robin Hood. According to the Forestry Commission, Sherwood Forest is over 1,000 years old.

It was once a vast royal forest of oak, birch, and bracken, covering all of west Nottinghamshire. The great ‘Shire Wood’ stretched 32 km/20 mi from Nottingham north to Worksop, and was up to 13 km/8 mi wide. Kings and queens of England used it as a hunting ground from medieval times. It was cleared in the 18th century.

Expansion of industry and population has severely reduced the forest, although parts of it remain from Nottingham to Mansfield and to Worksop. The northern part of Sherwood Forest, between Worksop and Ollerton, lies in the Dukeries area. Part of the parkland is protected within the Sherwood Forest Country Park, 1 km/0.5 mi north of Edwinstowe (32 km/20 mi north of Nottingham). The Sherwood Forest Visitor Centre is near Edwinstowe.

Trees There are at least 182 ha/450 acres of oak and silver birch in the park. Sherwood Forest contains some of oldest and largest oaks in Britain and is home to the massive major oak, where – according to legend – Robin Hood hid from the Sheriff of Nottingham, and where Robin married Maid Marian.